1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mid-engine vehicle including an engine mounted between front and rear axles.
2. Description of the Related Art
A so-called mid-engine vehicle in which a center of gravity of a power unit including an engine is disposed between axles of front and rear wheels has an improved turning performance, and the distribution of load to the front and rear wheels is made uniform to provide a well-balanced performance when the vehicle is in motion, because of a small inertial force about a yaw axis, as compared with either a front engine vehicle in which a gravity center of a power unit is disposed forward of the axles of the front wheels, or a rear engine vehicle in which a center of gravity of the power unit is disposed in back of the axles of the rear wheels.
In general, a compartment for a driver and passengers is provided at a longitudinally central portion of a vehicle and for this reason, it is difficult to dispose a power unit at such a position. Therefore, a power unit in a conventional mid-engine vehicle is disposed in the rear of the compartment and immediately in front of the rear wheel axles.
However, if the above-described layout is employed, the inertial moment about the yaw axis is not significantly decreased and moreover, the distribution of load to the front and rear wheels is biased toward the rear wheels. For this reason, the above-described advantage of the mid-engine vehicle is not sufficiently realized.